Secret of Middle-Age Weight Gain Linked to Stem Cells
In a groundbreaking study, scientists at City of Hope, a leading research center for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, have discovered the reasons behind the weight gain that many people experience as they age, even when body weight remains the same. The research, which focuses on white adipose tissue (WAT), sheds light on the expansion of this tissue and offers potential strategies for managing weight and metabolic health.
The scientific evidence shows that expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) with aging, especially in middle age, occurs through two main processes: adipocyte hypertrophy (enlargement of existing fat cells) and hyperplasia (creation of new fat cells). Excess caloric intake and metabolic changes trigger both hypertrophy and hyperplasia, leading to increased fat mass and altered secretion of adipokines, which influence systemic metabolism and inflammation.
WAT expands notably through adipocyte hyperplasia, involving the differentiation of progenitor cells into new adipocytes. This process is supported by studies using human pluripotent stem cells showing that white adipocytes can be generated from progenitors under specific signaling conditions. This differentiation is regulated by various pathways, including TGFβ and Pax3 signaling, which influence whether progenitors become white, beige, or brown fat cells.
Obesity and aging cause maladaptive remodeling of WAT, characterized by chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and altered adipokine profiles. This remodeling is depot-specific (subcutaneous vs. visceral fat), with visceral fat expansion being more closely linked to metabolic disease.
Evidence from lineage tracing and RNA sequencing in adult adipose tissue reveals that resident progenitors, such as c-kit+ cells, contribute to the generation of new adipocytes during adulthood, supporting the ongoing creation of fat cells beyond early development.
Moreover, beige adipocytes within WAT can thermogenically convert lipids to heat, indicating plasticity in adipocyte function during tissue expansion and metabolic adaptation. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, BAT (brown adipose tissue) activation can help turn white fat into brown fat. Strategies such as cold water immersion, cold showers, and maintaining a cool home temperature can aid in BAT activation.
In an exciting development, researchers at City of Hope are planning research to develop strategies that could eliminate or block the adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs) to prevent age-related fat gain. Aging transforms APCs into a new type of stem cell called committed preadipocytes, age-specific (CP-As), which begin churning out new fat cells that lead to weight gain starting in middle age. Aging unlocks the power of APCs to evolve and spread, leading to an increase in the output of new fat cells.
By understanding the processes that lead to WAT expansion in middle age, researchers hope to develop new treatments and strategies for managing weight and metabolic health. Clicking here can help discover how to reset the master hormone and live better, longer. By combining black seed oil, a natural anti-inflammatory, with omega-3 fatty acids, it is possible to reprogram white fat cells to beige cells, which turn brown more easily than WAT. This combination can help mitigate obesity-related inflammation and improve metabolic health.
- In the groundbreaking study at City of Hope, scientists have found that expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) in middle age often results from two processes: adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia, which are influenced by excess caloric intake and metabolic changes, triggering inflammation.
- The research also reveals that obesity and aging cause maladaptive remodeling of WAT, characterized by chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and altered adipokine profiles, impacting metabolic health.
- By combining black seed oil, a natural anti-inflammatory, with omega-3 fatty acids, it may be possible to reprogram white fat cells to beige cells, potentially mitigating obesity-related inflammation and improving metabolic health as part of a comprehensive health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and nutrition plan.
